Archive for May 2017

Remembering NARGIS(1 June 1929 � 3 May 1981), on her 88th Birth Anniversary as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema.She starred in many popular Hindi films of the late 1940s and 1950s such as Barsaat (1949), Andaz (1949), Awaara (1951), Deedar (1951), Shree 420 (1955), and Chori Chori (1956). She appeared in Mehboob Khan's Oscar-nominated rural drama Mother India in 1957 for which she won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.
Between 1940-1960, she made a superhit pair with Raj Kapoor in films like Barsaat, Awara and Aag and has been immortalised in the RK emblem.
Nargis married Sunil Dutt after mother India released,Post her marriage to Sunil Dutt, Nargis gave up films for good. While she was at the peak of her career, even receiving the Filmfare Award for her performance in Mother India

Nargis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment for the disease at Memorial Sloan�Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Upon her return to India, her condition deteriorated, and she was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. She went into a coma on May 2, 1981 and died the next day.one day before the premier of her son Sanjay Dutts debute film Rocky.

Along with her husband, Nargis formed the Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe, which roped in several leading actors and singers of the time and held stage shows at border areas. In early 1970s, she became the first patron of Spastics Society of India, and her subsequent work with the organisation brought her recognition as a social worker, and later a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1980.
She got the inaugural National Film Award for Best Actress for Raat Aur Din in 1967 beside getting many national and international awards for Mother India.
Govt. of India started one Award on her name called the Nargis Dutt Award in her honour for best feature film on national integration in the annual National Film Awards
Here are some of her Best Known Songs

Song from Barsaat 1949

Song from Andaz (1949)

Song from Babul 1950

Song from Awaara 1951

Song from Bewafa 1952

Song from Aah 1953

Song from Shree 420 1955

Song from Chori Chori 1956

Song from Mother India 1957

Song from Laajwanti 1958

Song from Raat Aur Din (1967)

Raj Khosla was born on 31 May 1925,he was one of the top directors in Hindi films of the Golden Era.He was known for his excellent song picturizations, probably stemming from his musical background.He was spotted by Dev anand  and advised him to take up direction. On his advice he became Guru Dutt's assistant. His directorial debut Milap (starring Dev Anand and Geeta Bali) in 1954 didn't click at the box office. But his second film, C.I.D., released in 1956 set the ball rolling and the young director never looked back.
In 1958 his 2 films Kala Pani and Solva Saal were released both were hits and were critically acclaimed.In 1960 his next film as director was  Bambai Ka Babu another hit.
Raj Khosla explored a variety of styles be it crime thrillers (C.I.D., Kala Pani (1958)), musicals (Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962) � whose starting point was seven songs composed by O. P. Nayyar), suspense thrillers (Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), Anita (1967) � his mystery trilogy with actress Sadhana), melodramas (Do Badan (1966), Do Raaste (1969)) or dacoit dramas (Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)
After  Mera Gaon Mera Desh and had hits like Prem Kahani (1975) starring the then hottest pair of the day Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz, Nehle Pe Dehla (1976) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978),the last hit he gave was  Dostana (1980) with Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Shatrughan Sinha.
Beside Director he produced 7 films only 2 films Do Raaste 1969 and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) were Super hits,his last film Naqab (1989) with Rishi kapoor was a flop.He  died in Mumbai on 9 June 1991, totally disillusioned with the film industry.